Hi guys, in this video I want discuss the reason why 7 years ago I decide to leave the vfx and feature film industry and go back into games this is of course my personal opinion
In my experience, games has more respect for their animators than film/TV with better contracts and bonuses. It's a huge shame because I love film/TV and still aspire to work on features
Hi Alessandro, I've been in most of the big animation studios (USA, Canada, Australia) and I can confirm that. if you want a family, solid relationships, vfx/feature industry is not a good way to have that. At the end of the day, a credit in a movie means nothing even if the project was an Oscar winner, everytime I finish a contract I think about leaving because sometimes it doesn't matter if you have a better performance than other people or have an excellent work ethic. You just had to be there in the right place at the right moment to stay as a staff in the company. Unfortunately I can't quit now because I have invested almost 2/3 of my life in this industry and I have to start to find a good way to quit gradually but sadly I am going to do that in the future too.
Similar thing happened to me, the contract lifestyle just didn't make sense. I left the vfx industry 22 years ago for games and never looked back. Game software development is incredibly challenging and rewarding work.
I just wonder if situation will change if more people will say - it's crazy, unstable industry, companies and leave. I worked only in mobile games, but always were curious about feature film studios... But constant moving, renting.. I don't want that :)
I did vfx as a pipeline programmer for a short time before going back into games. The contract set up seemed a little weird, and the pay not so great. My dad, on the other hand did practical wire fx so used to be on set, more often than not 2nd unit stuff with stunt men as well as other wire stuff, got to travel a lot to work on location too. I tried being a runner on set and my dad's great, so people were nice to me too but I didn't feel I had my own "identity" on set and I wanted to do my own thing. I think if you want to work in movies working on set as a runner, a gaffer, a grip, a rigger or whatever can take you to places literally!
I respect the fact that this is an unfiltered and raw working experience you’re telling. Thank you for sharing awareness, it’s highly important and appreciated 🙏🙏 EDIT: regarding the last topic how things may not benefits our personal life, I can relate to that when I worked as a 2D animator with Japanese industry. We’re always overworked, tight deadlines and bad salaries. I read someone’s comment in this video how certain individuals shares their credit name on a show they contributed, and you replied that it does weight some benefit, but only at certain point. It becomes like an exposure points for animation producers to scout potential animators on the internet to hire them, and the obsession of this culture can somewhat become an unhealthy competition sometimes. Again, it depends on the industry itself. It’s not easy, but just leave if it’s not a good time. Slowly but surely I do love to have a balanced life without caring what I’ve been working in the industry, I think it’s wise to have that mindset.
I used to work in the film industry but in the AD department, I left and joined the circus. I still have thoughts to go back but I searched on youtube and found your video. The last section of your video I couldn't agree more with your opinion. You made some heavy true points which is exactly why I struggle to go back. Thanks for sharing.
Great video as always... along the same lines ... my observations about the games industry have been similar... especially 2023 has been brutal ... projects getting shelved last minute... dev's .... artists getting fired due to wrong projections or unreasonable profit expectations by top level execs ... somehow .. irrespective of experience... demoreel ... the artists are at the receiving end of all the budget calculations and suffer the most has been my observations
I can relate to each and every word you said and it's the truth! Film industry is the most unstable career to choose, I know it now! Thank you for all the truth and helping people realize the truth!
Hey Ale, thank you for sharing such valuable information. In my early career days, I faced struggles that taught me important life lessons and helped me understand where I stand and how to improve. I encountered a similar situation in the gaming industry regarding management strategies. However, after overcoming those challenges, I transitioned to working with Ubisoft and am currently thriving at Gameloft Vietnam. I've gained numerous new skills and experiences in the gaming industry, surpassing what I learned in TV/movie production.
Although there are people who definitely enjoy and thrive in a fast-paced environment where they work really hard for 6 months and then shift to a different place and repeat (adventurous lifestyle and fun, i guess), i believe most people want something more stable and want to invest more of their time into something to a deeper level. The main takeaway is this : understand the industry and it's patterns and find a spot that suits you the most. There's a place for everyone. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it helps.
Yes is fun until your early thirties .... Then when most people realize that after working like this, they have no stability for the future... No saving to one day buy a place... No retirement founds... Is a bit less fun
I also came to realize the hard way that BC laws make it very easy for employers. For instance if you worked for a year, the company only owes you 2 weeks notice. If you worked for 3 years, 3 weeks notice. It's really suffocating here
Thanks Alessandro for you video. but unfortunatelly, I don't think shifting the industry is that easy. it requires replacing most of your showreel shots (if not all) plus all game animator opportunities requires shipped AAA titles even for smaller scale companies... do you have any recomendations for that?
Thank you so much for your video. I am a character animation student in BC- may I ask about what you know about 3D Television animation- like cartoons in Vancouver? It is not feature film- so I am wondering if there are more stable opportunities. Many thanks
Ciao Alessandro, grazie di condividere con noi le tue personali esperienze. Una frase del video mi ha colpito molto ed è un tarlo nella testa che ho da un po': Molti artisti venerano il fatto di poter vedere il proprio nome scritto nei titoli di coda di un film, come fosse il massimo raggiungimento della loro carriera, a cosa è dovuto tutta questa importanza?
Great video, I am actually just trying to make this transition from TV animation to gameplay animation. Any advice as to what I would need on my Reel and what to expect?
@@acamporotaAlso how is the general day to day as an animator in the game industry, and how does quota or assigning work for games. Thank you so much for your time.
Is facial animation very much important in gaming industry like i want to work in gaming industry is it compulsory for me master facial animation ? and what is the thing which i need to master to work in gaming industry ?
Keep in mind that working for games is a lot different than working VFX/Feature. Companies are hiring Gameplay animator so be ready to learn to master a game engine cause you are going to be competing with people that have already mastered and have been on a game production. I'd rather my company hire a Junior that shows interest in games and put effort to create a game reel than a Senior animator only willing to just animate. Games is not for everybody, if you just want to animate, it might not be the type of project you want to be involved with
I’m confused, what’s different about gameplay animation? In my (extremely short) experience working on a game, they just had me animate in Maya and then transfer the animated skeleton over to Unity for testing. Is that not the norm?
what about the scope of 3D animator in future ? , can u please give me reply , now i am learning maya software is it useful in future or any suggestions /.> ?
yeah sure, keep trying your best at your course, 3d animation still has a lot of space to grow even now. But wisely and read all the terms in contract, it will be fine.
Oh, you were new to the industry on Stubby? Yikes! You were at the ugly tail end of about 5 years of constant, multi-project work, right when they hit the wall and everyone left. Most signed at Reel FX where we did a good 2-3 years before they also hit the wall. It's the nature of the gig industry, but for those still wanting to be in it, if you're in Canada... move to Montreal and keep your apartment. Vancouver is a trap and everyone got burned. Sony has now moved to Mtl anyway. Rent is cheaper, a lot more studios and a big network of mid and seniors following each other from project to project. The studios don't matter. You follow the projects, and completely ignore sales pitches. If there is no pre-prod, there is no contract, we're moving on. It's a tough industry, you have to be quite connected and selfish in your career, and only when you have reached a solid senior talent level do you start to feel like you can pick your contract and plan your own time off between them, turning anxiety into vacation. Like being an actor really. My biggest issue is more that there are no directors anymore... clients are either producers or vfx sups / story artists given the helms without any directorial vision or talent. It has become the norm to have no idea where a film is going, and see a complete turn over of the animation team mid-way through the project because they are fed up with the client. The film industry in general is in a bad state... unfortunately, the game industry is quickly reaching the same point. "Designed by producers for shareholders" vibe. Tough times in general for the arts and entertainment. Hopefully the collapse / pendulum swing will occur soon towards studios taking bigger risks with younger film makers and out of the box project.
C'mon, that's not true. You are telling me that your name in the credits of a film doesn't make a difference? Be real now, you know for a fact most jobs have to go though a recruiter who frankly (no disrespect to recruiters) simply do not have the ability to understand what they are looking at when they look at a reel. They will filter you based on what studios, what credits, and how much industry experience you have. If you have Disney, Pixar, or Naughty Dog in your resume you think that reputation doesn't matter? In fact, it makes it more likely for a worse animator to get hired simply because of that pedigree.
